Fuel metering valve



y 1, 59 R. J. FOWELL ETAL 2,895,463

1mm. METERING VALVE Filed Jan. 16, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 "F E 'W N E E E W: M E

INVENTORS ROBERT J.POWELL BY JAMES E.CHAMPION July 21, 1959 R. J. POWELL I ETAL "FUEL METERING VALVE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 16, 1957 3 35 FIG.2.

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INVENTORS ROBERT J. OWELL N o m/ M. E/ 5. E M T Y B AITO NEYS United States Patent 2,895,463 FUEL METERING VALVE Robert J. Powell and James E. Champion, Mich., assignors to Continental Motors Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Virginia Application January 16, 1957, Serial No. 634,538 4 Claims. (Cl. 123-139) Muskegon, Corporation,

This invention relates to fuel injection systems for internal combustion engines, and more particularly to a continuous flow fuel injection system preferably adapted for use in multi-cylinder type engines and hav ing a simplified throttle responsive metering valve including a simplified mixture control means.

Continuous flow fuel injection systems are desirable for multi-cylinder engines, particularly for aircraft, because of the relative simplicity of construction and operation and the fact that such systems reduce icing. However, these systems heretofore failed to meet efficient and reliable performance standards without being made correspondingly complex. The fuel metering valves are particularly susceptible to failure and variations in operation the more complex they become, as well as being highly expensive and difficult to adjust and repair.

An object of the present invention is to provide effective fuel injection for internal combustion engines by constructing a continuous flow fuel injection metering valve having a minimum of moving parts.

Another object of the invention is to improve fuel injection by providing a rugged and simplified fuel injection valve operable to meter fuel efiiciently under all engine operating conditions.

A further object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive and dependable fuel injection system for internal combustion engines by constructing a simplified continuous flow metering valve operable to meter fuel effectively in response to engine throttle operation and to selectively variably bypass fuel around the metering valve for efiicient mixture control.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views and in which Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of apreferred engine and fuel injection system incorporating the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of the fuel metering valve of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2 showing the mixture control valve in one position.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 4 but with the valve in another position.

Fig. 6 isa cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 4 but with the valve in yet another position, and

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 7--7 of Fig. 2. p

The preferred fuel injection system illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 1 preferably comprises a fuel tank 10 having an auxiliary pump 11, a fuel filter assembly 12, a vapor separator 13, a constant delivery fuel pump 14, a fuel metering valve structure 15, a fuel distributing manifold 16, and a plurality of fuel injectors 17 adapted substantially on 2,895,463 Patented July 21, 1959 to inject fuel into an air intake manifold 18, an injector being installed for each engine cylinder air intake. An air throttle valve 19 is adjustably disposed in an air intake section 18a of the manifold 18 and is preferably connected by suitable linkage 20 to the fuel metering valve 15.

Fuel is pumped from the tank 10 through pipes or conduits 25 and 26 into the vapor separator 13 and thence through a conduit 27 to the intake side of the pump 14. Fuel under pressure is then pumped through a conduit 28 to the fuel metering valve 15, where a metered amount of fuel is delivered to the fuel manifold 16 through a conduit 24 for distribution to the injectors 17 in accordance with engine fuel requirements as determined bythe operation of the throttle 19. v

For proper mixture control, a portion of the fuel may be spilled from the metering valve 15, as will be herein described, to return through a conduit 29 to the vapor separator 13 for recirculation to the pump 14. A pressure relief valve 30 is preferably provided on the outlet side of the fuel pump 14. V j

A preferred construction for the fuel injection metering valve structure 15 is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 as comprising a valve housing 35 having a fuel inlet port 36 adapted for connection with the outlet side of the pump 14 through the conduit 28, a fuel delivery outlet port 37 adapted for connection with the fuel distributing manifold 16 through the conduit 24, and a fuel spill outlet port 38 adapted for connection with the vapor separator 13 and the intake side of the pump 14 through the conduit 29. A A longitudinal bore 39 extends through the housing 35, and is separated by a fixed or stationary divider elemerit 40 into two bore sections 39a and 3%. A fuel metering passage 41 in the divider element 40 is open on opposite faces thereof respectively to the bore sections 39a and 3%.

A fuel mixture control valve member 42 is rotatably supported in the bore section 39a and abuts the face of the fixed divider element 40. An adjustable fuel metering control valve member 43 is rotatably supported in the bore section 39b and abuts the opposite face of the divider element 40. The metering control valve member 43 is provided with a lever 44 which is adapted to be operatively connected to the linkage 20 shown in Fig. 1 for operation relative to operation of the throttle valve 19. The control valve members 42 and 43 are preferably axially aligned in the bore 39.

An annular groove 45 is provided in the valve member 42 and is continuously openly connected with a fuel inlet passage 46 provided in the housing 35 and connected with the inlet port 36 as illustrated in Fig. 3. A fuel screen 46a is preferably disposed in the passage 46. A groove 47 is provided on the end ofthe valve member 42 which abuts the divider element 40 and a fuel passage 48 in the valve member 42 connects the groove 47 with the annular groove 45. Fuel is thereby continuously conducted from the port 36 through the passage 46 to the groove 45 and thence through the passage 48 to the arcuate groove 47.

A fuel spill passage 50 provided in the housing 35 connects the bore section 39a with the fuel spill outlet port 38. The groove 47 of the valve member 42 is arranged so that angular adjustment thereof will open and close the spill passage 50 simultaneously as the metering passage 41 is respectively closed and opened, as illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6.

Fig. 4 represents the rich mixture position of the valve member 42, in which the metering passage 41 is fully open and the spill passage 50 is fully closed, providing for a full flow of fuel under pressure through the metering passage 41. Fig. 5 represents a lean mixture position of the valve member 42, in which the metering passage 41 is partially closed and the spill passage is partially open. Fig. 6 represents the fuel cutoff position of the valve member 42, in which the metering passage 41 is fully closed and the spill passage 50 is fully open, providing for a full'return of all the fuel to the intake side of the pump 14. A lever 51 is preferably provided on the outer end of the valve member 42 for manual operation thereof or for connection to any desired type of suitable actuating means.

The end of the metering control valve 43 which abuts the divider element 40 is provided with a groove 55 which upon operation of the valve 43 in response to throttle operation, selectively opens and closes the fuel metering passage 41 to provide effective metering of fuel. A fuel passage 56 connecting the bore section 39b with the fuel delivery outlet port 37 is arranged to be open to the groove 55.

Fig. 7 illustrates the full open position of the metering valve 43 while the dotted line 57 indicates the position of the groove in the fuel cutoff position, the directional arrow 58 indicating the rotation from wide open to closed.

It will be seen that different configurations of the grooves 47 and 55 may be used to provide the desired fuel control through operation respectively of the valves 42 and 43, and that those shown in Figs. 4 through 7 are merely representative of a preferred type.

Although we have shown but one preferred embodiment of the invention, it will also be apparent to one skilled in the art to which this invention pertains that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appendedclaims.

We claim:

l. A continuous fioW fuel injection system for an'internal combustion engine having an air induction manifold and an adjustable air intake throttle valve for same, said injection system operable in response to throttle valve adjustment to deliver metered fuel to said engine and including a source of fuel supply, a fuel pressure pump assembly having a fuel intake connected with said fuel source and a fuel outlet, and a fuel metering'valve structure comprising a valve housing having a fuel inlet connected with said'pump outlet, a fuel delivery outlet connected with said engine, and a fuel spill outlet con? nected with said pump intake, an adjustable metering valve member in said housing operable to vary the opening of said delivery outlet, means connecting and simultaneously actuating said metering valve and said throttle valve for delivering fuel variably relative to throttle valve position, an adjustable mixture control valve member disposed in said housing intermediate said metering valve and said fuel inlet, said mixture control valve being operable to open and close said fuel delivery outlet and to simultaneously.respectively close and open said fuel spill outlet, and means selectively actuating said mixture control valve independently of said throttle valve and of said metering valve.

. 2. A continuous flow fuel injection system for an in ternal' combustion engine having an air induction manifold and an adjustable air intake throttle valve'for same, said injection system operable in response. to throttle valve adjustment to deliver metered fuel to said engine and including a source of fuel supply, a fuel pressure pump assembly having a fuel intakeconnected with said fuel source and a fuel outlet, and a fuel metering valve structure comprising a valve housing having a longitudinal cylindrical bore, an interior divider element in said bore and separating same into two bore sections, a fuel metermg passage in said divider element and open on opposite faces thereof into said bore sections, a fuel inlet passage in said housing and connected with said pump outlet, a fuel spill passage in said housing and connected with said livery outlet passage in said housing connected with said engine and open into the other of said bore sections, an adjustable metering valve member disposed in the last mentioned bore section and operable to vary fuel flow from said metering passage to said delivery outlet passage, means connecting and simultaneously actuating said metering valve and said throttle valve for delivering fuel to said engine variably relative to throttle valve position, an adjustable mixture control valve member disposed in the first mentioned bore section and operable to vary fuel flow from said inlet passage to said metering passage and to said spill passage, and means selectively actuating said mixture control valve independently of said throttle vflve and of said metering valve.

3. A continuous flow fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine having an air induction manifold and an adjustable air intake throttle valve for same, said injection system operable in response to throttle valve adjustment to deliver metered'fuel to said engine and including a source of fuel supply, a fuel pressure pump assembly having a fuel intake connected with said fuel source and a fuel outlet, and a fuel metering valve structure comprising a valve housing having a longitudinal cylindrical bore, an interior divider element in said bore and separating same into two bore sections, a fuel metering passage in said divider element and open on opposite faces thereof into said bore sections, a fuel inlet passage in said housing and connected with said pump outlet, a fuel spill passage in said housing and connected with said pump intake, said inlet passage and said spill passage beingopen into one of said bore sections, and a fuel delivery outlet passage in said housing connected with said engine and open into the other of said bore sections, an angularly adjustable metering valve member disposed in said last mentioned bore section and operable to vary fuel flow from said metering passage to said delivery outlet passage, means connecting and simultaneously actuating said metering valve and said throttle valve for delivery fuel to said engine variably relative to throttle valve position, an angularly adjustable mixture control valve member disposed on the first mentioned bore section and operable to varyfuel fiow from said inlet passage to said'metering passage-and to said spill passage, and means selec: tively actuating said mixture, control valve independently of said throttle valve and of said metering valve.

4. A continuous flow fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine having an air induction mani fold and an adjustable air intake throttle valve for same, said injection system operable in response to throttle valve adjustment to deliver metered fuel to said engine and including a source of fuel supply, a fuel pressure pump assembly having a fuel intake connected with said fuel source and a'fuel outlet, and a fuel metering valve strucl ture comprising a valve housing having a longitudinal cylindricalbore, aninterior divider. element in said bore and separating same into two bore sections, a fuel metering passage in said divider element and open on opposite faces thereof into said bore sections, a fuel inlet passage in said housing and connected with said pump outlet, a fuel spill passage in said housing and connected with said pumpintake, said inlet passage and .said spill passage being open into one of said bore sections, and a fuel delivery'outlet passage in said housing connected with said engine and open into the other of said bore sections, an

pump -intake,- said'inlet passage and said spill passage being open into one ofsaid bore sections, a fuel de angularly adjustable metering valve member disposed in said last mentioned bore section and having an eccentrically grooved end face abutting said divider element, said fuel delivery outlet passage open at all times to said eccentric groove and said divider element passage being variably open to said eccentric groove depending on the angular positionof said metering valve member to vary fuel flow from said metering passage to said outlet passage, means connecting andsimultaneously actuating said metering valve and -said throttle valve for delivering fuel to saidenginevariably relative to the throttle valve position, an angularly adjustable mixture control valve mem ber disposed in the first mentioned bore section and having a grooved end face abutting said divider element, said mixture control valve member having an annular groove and a fuel passage connecting said end face groove and said annular groove, said fuel inlet passage being open at all times to said annular groove, said divider element passage and said fuel spill passage being variably open to said mixture valve and face groove depending on the angular position of said mixture control valve to open and close said divider element passage While simultaneously respectively closing and opening said spill passage to vary fuel flow from said inlet passage to said divider element passage, and means selectively actuating said mixture control valve independently of said throttle valve and of said metering valve.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,195,764 Arquembourg Aug. 22, 1916 FOREIGN PATENTS 149,352 Great Britain July 22, 1920 624,856 Great Britain June 17, 1949 

